Ecology and Environment

Greenway of Greater Grand Forks | Photo by TrailLink user thejake91739

Minnesota and North Dakota’s Greenway of Greater Grand Forks

Posted 10/06/22 by Cindy Barks in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Ecology and Environment, Minnesota, North Dakota, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Over the past two decades, the Greenway of Greater Grand Forks has attracted more and more uses, and Greendahl said she often gets requests for new features, such as more river access points.

Courtesy Getty Images

Biden Administration Reestablishes Important Tool to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Posted 07/07/22 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Policy | Tagged with Ecology and Environment, Federal, Funding, State and Federal Programs

RTC is urging all our supporters to once again weigh in with FHWA to say that trails matter, and that state DOTs should set goals and show if they are making progress toward a more sustainable transportation system by funding trails, walking and bicycling.

California Coastal Trail | Photo by TrailLink user davidgordon144

Commuting Across and Exploring the Bay Area Will Become More Accessible to Millions of Residents Via 2,604 Miles of Connected Trails

Posted 01/12/22 by Heather Irish in America's Trails | Tagged with BATC, California, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Ecology and Environment, Facts and FIgures, TrailNation

This vision is becoming a reality with nearly 60% of the 2,604-mile Bay Area regional trail network complete. Leading the charge is the Bay Area Trails Collaborative, a group of more than 50 businesses, agencies and organizations that is chaired by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC).

Georgia's Silver Comet Trail | Photo by Seth Holladay

The Build Back Better Act Could Create New Opportunities for Trail and Active Transportation Funding

Posted 11/06/21 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Policy | Tagged with Ecology and Environment, Equity, Federal, Funding, Mode Shift, Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, TrailsTransform

Assuming the Build Back Better Act moves through the Senate without any additional changes, the current language includes programs that address critical transportation and infrastructure issues, such as economic development, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and equity.

The Loop | Photo by Gerry Loew, Pima County Communications

Arizona’s Santa Cruz River Park Trail

Posted 04/12/21 by Cindy Barks in America's Trails | Tagged with Arizona, Best Of, Bike Commuting, Demand for Trails, Ecology and Environment, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Transportation and Health, Urban Pathways, Why Use Trails?

Starting in the centuries-old birthplace of Tucson in the south, the Santa Cruz River Park Trail follows the sandy and mostly dry riverbed, passing nearby murals and taquerias in neighborhoods like Midvale Park and Santa Cruz Southwest, lively shops and hotels of the downtown area, and busy parks and ballfields of the El Camino Del Cerro area in the northwest.

Birdwatching in Tacony Creek Park | Courtesy Tookany-Tacony Frankford Watershed Partnership

Trail Moments | Philly Birder Takes Fledgling Bird Enthusiasts Under His Wing

Posted 09/01/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Circuit Trails, Ecology and Environment, Encouraging Trail Use, Equity, Featured Magazine Articles, Trail Moments, Trail Use Tips, TrailNation, Wild and Wonderful

“For me, the special part of those experiences has been having so many different types of people participating,” enthused Keith Russell. “You have families come out with kids and people who are in their 70s and 80s. I’m always so thrilled that you have such diversity; birding doesn’t just attract one section of the community or one type of person.”

Prairie Grassland along the Heartland Pathways in Illinois | Photo by Chris Bucher

Saving America's Prairies: Illinois Leaders and Rail-Trail Advocates Work to Restore a Dwindling System

Posted 07/14/20 by Elizabeth Striano in America's Trails | Tagged with Ecology and Environment, Featured Magazine Articles, Illinois, TrailsTransform, Wild and Wonderful

From a distance, the flowers and grasses growing alongside the old highways and roads in East Central Illinois can look remarkably Like dense stands of nuisance weeds. But those who take the time to stop and get out of their car for a closer look will be rewarded with bursts of color and a variety of leaf shapes and sizes from hundreds of species of wildflowers and tallgrasses— some that can tower up to eight feet.

Tacony Creek Trail | Photo by Thom Carroll

Pennsylvania’s Tacony Creek Trail

Posted 06/09/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Circuit Trails, Connected Systems, Delaware, Ecology and Environment, Equity, Maintenance and Volunteers, Pennsylvania, Trail of the Month, TrailNation

Philadelphia is tucked between two major rivers, the Delaware to the east and the Schuylkill to the west; between them, Tacony Creek—a tributary of the Delaware—runs its course through the city’s northeast neighborhoods. In this densely populated pocket, the 3.2-mile Tacony Creek Trail, paved and smooth as a river stone, flows along the waterway under the hush of tall old-growth trees.

Mineral Belt Trail | Photo by Scott Stark

Four Rail-Trails That Are Part of Transformative Environmental Clean-up Projects

Posted 04/21/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Colorado, Ecology and Environment, Featured Magazine Articles, Heritage and Restoration, IHTC, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, TrailNation, West Virginia

In honor of Earth Day’s 50th Anniversary this year, Rails to Trails magazine is highlighting four rail-trails that have had a transformative Cinderella story, going from industrial dumping grounds to beloved community assets.

Oak Leaf Trail in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, along the Route of the Badger trail network | Photo courtesy Front Room Photography

RTC President's Message: Connecting America Like Never Before

Posted 01/14/20 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with Ecology and Environment, Georgia, Great American Rail-Trail, Route of the Badger, TrailNation, Wisconsin

At RTC, we try to share the diversity of our country’s vast trails and the people behind them. But if there’s one thing you’ll find consistent in nearly every story and we share through our channels, it’s how trails connect us. In the most literal sense, they serve as a means to get from place to place, and figuratively, trails grant us deep and meaningful connections to each other and to nature.

Ashokan Rail Trail opening | Courtesy New York City Department of Environmental Protection

New York’s Ashokan Rail Trail

Posted 12/03/19 by Cory Matteson in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Ecology and Environment, Heritage and Restoration, New York, Trail of the Month

Though the trail opened in autumn, the ART, as it’s colloquially called, offers year-round views. The area abounds with red maples, birch and eastern white pine trees, and features protected wetlands and a 525-foot boardwalk. The Catskill Mountains, once an inspiration to famed Hudson River School artists and conservationists like Thomas Cole and Asher Durand, beckon from the ART.